The Warren County R-III School District has announced the purchase of a building to be used as the new site of the Alpha Academy alternative school starting with the 2011-12 school year. The newly acquired building, located at 1037 Armory Road between Moser’s Supermarket and Agape Ministries, was constructed in 1999 and was last used as a Family Dollar store. It was owned by Roger and Eugenia Moser. The district paid $321,640, which is less than half the cost of other buildings the district had looked at. The 8,000-square-foot facility also is double in size from what the district had originally sought out. The board met in special session in early March to review construction bids for a new facility, but after no motion was made, the issue dissolved. Board members felt the bids were too high to justify spending an excessive amount of money when weighed against the state’s current financial situation. The previous facilities looked at included 4,000- and 6,000-square-foot buildings, which would have cost approximately $650,000 and $900,000, respectively. “It was just not a direction we could go,” said board member Scott Costello, of the $900,000 price tag. “(The Mosers) worked very cooperatively with us and through the real estate agent,” Costello said. “We feel we’ve got a building in good condition and it was basically $40 per square foot. It puts us in a facility where we are able to do everything we can for the students.” The new facility, he added, would be a psychological boost for students as well. “There’s no question that the mobile building they’ve been in for the last several years is not adequate,” he said. “We had an architectural firm come in last year to look at the old building and they said it was the least suitable structure for the purpose it was being used. “It was not only a problem with the suitability, but we did not have the ability to serve all of our students who need the alternative program to help them,” Costello added. “This effectively doubles the capacity that we had at the mobile (building).” The district is advertising for contractors to renovate the newly acquired building, which is currently empty. Officials will collect bids by the end of July so that construction may begin in early August. “Our first few weeks of school, we still may use the (mobile building), but our hope is that by mid-September, we’re going to have a ribbon cutting and get students in a new home,” Costello said. The district has been looking for an alternative school building for over two years. “We’ve tried to address that,” Costello said. “We wanted to have a facility that was more appropriate for the education of any student. “At this point last year, we recognized that we did not have a viable option (for the alternative school) and that led us to continue with the mobile building,” he added. “We said some way, we would find a solution to it for the 2011-2012 school year.” The building costs will come out of the district’s existing capital improvement fund. “We’re not borrowing money or using general revenue funds from the school district,” he said. “The money we used on this kind of acquisition can only be used on capital improvement fund maintenance. This will not, in any way, impact what we pay our faculty and staff or take education away from students.” The district is also currently interviewing candidates for the director’s position to oversee the school and intends to hire another teacher to join the faculty.